Music Directors
Jill Woodley - Director:
In 2024, Jill Woodley became the Elm City Echoes’ principal director.
Jill has been a member of the Echoes since 1993. She was first introduced to barbershop singing in January 1993 when her friend and co-worker brought her to a rehearsal during ‘Bring a Friend’ night. The rest is, as we say, ‘history’.
In the fall of 1993, Jill was taken under Chris Freeman’s wing to assist her with chorus rehearsals. Their co-directing leadership and experience blossomed, and so did their impact at Area 1 contests. Jill and Chris have received the Area 1 Don Regan Memorial Trophy multiple times. The trophy is awarded to the Director(s) of the Most Improved Chorus.
In addition to directing and singing tenor in the chorus, Jill has extensive quartet experience. In 2024, the quartet Wired4Sound, in which Jill sang tenor, Chris Freeman, bass, Deb Smith, lead and Rachel St-Laurent, baritone, placed first in the Area 1 AC&C quartet contest!
Previous quartets in which Jill and Chris have sung: Gotta Sing!!!, Meadowlarks and Maritime Magic were recognized for their talent and sound at Area 1 and International conventions and contests.
Maritime Magic: IC&C top 10 finalist and Jean Eggleton Memorial Award recipient.
Meadowlarks: 4-time-1st place winner at AC & C; 4-time recipients of the Wona Wright and Memorial Trophy; 4-time IC & C top 10 finalists and; recipients of the most prestigious Image of Harmony Award.
Gotta Sing!!!!: IC & C top 10 finalist.
Jill served on the Area 1 Team as Quartet Promotions Coordinator and later, as Area 1 Education Director.
Jill says: “The first night I attended a rehearsal changed my life. It was the most glorious experience I had ever had. Even after 31 + years, I love singing as much as I did the first time I went to a chorus rehearsal. Success is wonderful, but it's the people who make it the best thing that has ever happened to me”.
Christine (Chris) Freeman - Director Emeritus:
Chris Freeman has been a member of the Elm City Echoes since 1980! Currently our director 'Emerita', Chris directed and co-directed the chorus for over 40 years.
She currently sings with baritone and bass sections of the Chorus, and until recently, sang bass in the Area 1 award-winning quartet Wired4Sound.
Music and singing are Chris' passion. Retired after 45 years teaching piano, theory and harmony, Chris now devotes much of her time volunteering, singing baritone and bass with the Echoes, singing in the Wilmot Church choir, ringing handbells in the Wilmot Church handbell choir, and directing the River Valley Chorus, a mixed a cappella chorus.
Barbershop harmony has been a huge part of Chris’ life: the music, the friendships and the learning. It is part and parcel of the experience that brings her out every Monday to chorus rehearsal for an evening of song.
Chris is truly committed to her craft and always says ”I love singing barbershop as much now as I did when I joined in 1980. It's in my blood for sure".
Christy Arseneau - Assistant Director:
Christy Arseneau, a third-generation barbershopper, has been an official member of Harmony, Inc., since 1992 but has been around it all her life.
Every move to pursue school or work meant an opportunity to sing with a new local chorus and make friends throughout the organization. She has sung with the Chaleur Echoes (Dalhousie, NB), Elm City Echoes (Fredericton, NB), Toronto Accolades (Toronto, ON), and the Capital Chordettes (Ottawa, ON).
Now back singing Bass with the Elm City Echoes, she is a member of the music team and chases opportunities to keep learning and improving. She is also a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society's River Valley Chorus, singing Tenor and Baritone.
Christy adores quartetting, having caught the bug as a teen singing in a pick-up quartet with her mom and has been part of several pick-up, party, and competing quartets since. She actively encourages others to sing and is the current Area 1 Quartet Co-ordinator.
In addition to barbershop, Christy plays ukulele with her husband with enthusiastic mediocrity, belts out Broadway tunes with her son around the house (maybe someday she’ll convince him to join a chorus), and volunteers with the Fredericton Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Support Group.
